The full text of this article is not provided on SOAR. See the article at the publisher's website: http://www.springerlink.com/content/jk1135010514v8x6/
DOI: 10.1007/s10750-004-2669-1

en_US

dc.description.abstract

The 1995 coral bleaching event in the western Caribbean was the first reported episode that significantly
affected the Belize barrier and lagoonal patch reefs. Bleaching was attributed to a 2 mo period of warm
water temperatures above 30 C. Near Ambergris Caye, barrier and patch reefs experienced up to 50%
bleaching. At Mexico Rocks patch reef complex, the bleaching resulted in changes in reef health, community,
and physical structure. Prior to the hyperthermal episode, patch reef surface area consisted of 47%
healthy framework coral coverage, 12% secondarily colonized biotic coverage, 35% dead coral surfaces that
were degraded by biological activity and physical erosion, and 6% cavities. six months after bleaching, most
corals had regained their color, but, owing to coral mortality, areas of surface degradation had increased to
an average 49% (p ¼ 0.029 based on Kruskal–Wallis analyses). Eighteen months after bleaching, degraded
surface areas expanded to 53% ( p ¼ 0.0366). Although re-coloring indicates rapid recovery for surviving
corals, the persistence in dead coral surfaces suggests that reef skeletal structure recovery lags behind that of
individual corals. Initial results of framework measurements indicate that bleaching events may result in an
imbalance in the carbonate production rate of coral reefs and produce mass wasting of the skeletal
structure. Remapping of reef skeletal structure should establish quantitative measures for the long-term
effects of bleaching on patch reef frameworks.